plewis:And since when has it been a "thing" to have a president as a rodeo clown?

I'm of the mindset that Americans have a duty to make fun of the president regardless of party affiliation. Fox's "The Half Hour News Hour" was terrible for so many reasons, but among them was President Bush was off limits for mockery.

I don't go to rodeos. I think they're stupid and cruel. But I really can't be outraged by this. I haven't watched the video and I wouldn't be surprised if people in the audience who truly hate Obama made things uncomfortable by getting too into it, but it seems like the sort of thing that's par for the course. I imagine it's probably easy fodder to rile up a crowd to don the mask of any famous person.

If I were a rodeo clown and wanted to get a big crowd reaction in a rodeo this coming weekend, I'd probably put on a Miley Cyrus mask for my shtick. Nothing against Miley, but she's a popular target for mockery in pop culture right now so it'd be an easy way to win the crowd over.

Conservatives who defend this clown are idiots at best and racist sycophants at worst? Really, you're going to pretend that you didn't know the big lip joke was a racist caricature? And really, there are many more ways to mock Obama than going for that. Take some hints from the WWE for making fun of political figures - they do it to everyone, not just their "enemies".

LectertheChef:What about us Fark Socialists? I for one never got any instructions from Dear Leader, and I'm starting to feel a little left out. And let's not forget the poor Fark Anarchocapitalists, and the endangered Fark National Syndicalists, who is giving them their orders? And damnit, won't someone think of the Fark Toryists?

You were supposed to get your orders on your Obamaphone. Didn't you get an Obamaphone? He sent them out to all of his true believers....oh wait, never mind.

Fart_Machine:Wow his outrage burns with the heat of a billion suns. So responding to a question is "making a ruckus" now?

There were two chances to "kip this in the bud" he missed one of the chances right there. Did he pull a full on jerk and slobber over the deal? No. But a press secretary would never do that. He could have treated it just any of the scandals that he gets questions about. "We reviewed it and we dont think it's worth commenting on". boom done

The other chance was when it first started the President could have given the same answer. I don't think it was worth wasting the time of the President of the United States time on but since his press secretary couldn't keep his month shut the Prez needed to step in.

Fart_Machine:The Stealth Hippopotamus: Diogenes: I haven't really followed this closely but the White House commented on it? I thought it was the media and NAACP that make all the ruckus.

"I can tell you as a native Missourian, it was certainly not one of the finer moments for our state, and not the way I like to see our state depicted in the news."

-White House spokesman Josh Earnest

Since I like you I won't ask for a research fee.

Mr. Earnest could have just played it off and went on to the next question but he just couldn't. He showed that it affected him.

Wow his outrage burns with the heat of a billion suns. So responding to a question is "making a ruckus" now?

While that is a pretty tame statement, he really should have let that one go. Not every incident of dumfarkery requires a response.

And while there is a difference between having a post and expressing a personal opinion, and making an official statement on behalf of the office, he should have been wise enough to know that most people will not acknowledge the difference.

The Stealth Hippopotamus:Fart_Machine: Wow his outrage burns with the heat of a billion suns. So responding to a question is "making a ruckus" now?

There were two chances to "kip this in the bud" he missed one of the chances right there. Did he pull a full on jerk and slobber over the deal? No. But a press secretary would never do that. He could have treated it just any of the scandals that he gets questions about. "We reviewed it and we dont think it's worth commenting on". boom done

The other chance was when it first started the President could have given the same answer. I don't think it was worth wasting the time of the President of the United States time on but since his press secretary couldn't keep his month shut the Prez needed to step in.

So by this guy answering a question about how it personally (which would relate to him alone) embarrassed his state (which lets face it, it did) Obama is making a "big deal" about it.

It's a good thing he didn't say he disliked Brussels sprouts otherwise you would be accusing the White House of hating agriculture.

Diogenes:Fart_Machine: The Stealth Hippopotamus: Diogenes: I haven't really followed this closely but the White House commented on it? I thought it was the media and NAACP that make all the ruckus.

"I can tell you as a native Missourian, it was certainly not one of the finer moments for our state, and not the way I like to see our state depicted in the news."

-White House spokesman Josh Earnest

Since I like you I won't ask for a research fee.

Mr. Earnest could have just played it off and went on to the next question but he just couldn't. He showed that it affected him.

Wow his outrage burns with the heat of a billion suns. So responding to a question is "making a ruckus" now?

While that is a pretty tame statement, he really should have let that one go. Not every incident of dumfarkery requires a response.

And while there is a difference between having a post and expressing a personal opinion, and making an official statement on behalf of the office, he should have been wise enough to know that most people will not acknowledge the difference.

I'm pretty sure no matter what he said the hacks were going to accuse the White House of being outraged even though the bulk of this "story" is fueled by pundits and blogs.

The Stealth Hippopotamus:The other chance was when it first started the President could have given the same answer. I don't think it was worth wasting the time of the President of the United States time on but since his press secretary couldn't keep his month shut the Prez needed to step in.

Tom Dempsey's and Sabastian Janokowski's love child couldn't even keep up with you.

The Stealth Hippopotamus:The White House could have just laughed this off like grown ups. Instead they made it a big deal.

The Stealth Hippopotamus:Fart_Machine: Wow his outrage burns with the heat of a billion suns. So responding to a question is "making a ruckus" now?

There were two chances to "kip this in the bud" he missed one of the chances right there. Did he pull a full on jerk and slobber over the deal? No. But a press secretary would never do that. He could have treated it just any of the scandals that he gets questions about. "We reviewed it and we dont think it's worth commenting on". boom done

The other chance was when it first started the President could have given the same answer. I don't think it was worth wasting the time of the President of the United States time on but since his press secretary couldn't keep his month shut the Prez needed to step in.

Oh the horrah....

Why did Fartbama have to go nukular on the poor racist clown? Why's everybody gotta be so PC that we can't be racists anymore?

Show me how that's a racist statement. Difficulty: keep the straw in the barn, and no connecting the dots.

If in order to make your "point" you have to deliberately omit the part where I referred to the lip-flapping and said that combining that with the "trample Obama" sounded racist to me, you don't have one.

It's funny how all the posters saying "I don't see any racism" ignore the lip-flapping part. And by funny, I mean blatantly dishonest.

Fart_Machine:The Stealth Hippopotamus: Fart_Machine: Wow his outrage burns with the heat of a billion suns. So responding to a question is "making a ruckus" now?

There were two chances to "kip this in the bud" he missed one of the chances right there. Did he pull a full on jerk and slobber over the deal? No. But a press secretary would never do that. He could have treated it just any of the scandals that he gets questions about. "We reviewed it and we dont think it's worth commenting on". boom done

The other chance was when it first started the President could have given the same answer. I don't think it was worth wasting the time of the President of the United States time on but since his press secretary couldn't keep his month shut the Prez needed to step in.

So by this guy answering a question about how it personally (which would relate to him alone) embarrassed his state (which lets face it, it did) Obama is making a "big deal" about it.

It's a good thing he didn't say he disliked Brussels sprouts otherwise you would be accusing the White House of hating agriculture.

The Stealth Hippopotamus:Fart_Machine: Wow his outrage burns with the heat of a billion suns. So responding to a question is "making a ruckus" now?

There were two chances to "kip this in the bud" he missed one of the chances right there. Did he pull a full on jerk and slobber over the deal? No. But a press secretary would never do that. He could have treated it just any of the scandals that he gets questions about. "We reviewed it and we dont think it's worth commenting on". boom done

The other chance was when it first started the President could have given the same answer. I don't think it was worth wasting the time of the President of the United States time on but since his press secretary couldn't keep his month shut the Prez needed to step in.

CorporatePerson:JAGChem82: Conservatives who defend this clown are idiots at best and racist sycophants at worst? Really, you're going to pretend that you didn't know the big lip joke was a racist caricature?

Serious question, was it a racist joke? NPR described it as "lip bobbling," which sounds to me like the popular Three Stooges/Bugs Bunny shtick.

I tried to find an animated gif of it for an example but my Google fu is weak.

The big lip caricature of black people was a fairly odious one in the 1920/30s, although it was well before that. Take a look at some comics of black people in that era, and you'll probably see it. It was in Bugs Bunny cartoons, but 1) they had to get it from somewhere and 2) a lot of BB cartoons did have racist caricatures.

Essentially, it was a cheap way to make fun of Obama being a black guy than making fun of Obama as the president, which you can do. Like I said before a WWE wrestler body slamming an Obama lookalike - politically charged, but not racist.

Fart_Machine:So by this guy answering a question about how it personally (which would relate to him alone) embarrassed his state (which lets face it, it did) Obama is making a "big deal" about it.

Maybe when you are standing behind the podium at the White House press room you should keep your personal options to yourself? Maybe?

When his press secretary couldn't keep his mouth shut then and only then did the President need to comment. Until that moment it was beneath the POTUS to give it a moment of his time.

Fart_Machine:I'm pretty sure no matter what he said the hacks were going to accuse the White House of being outraged even though the bulk of this "story" is fueled by pundits and blogs

That's exactly right. They shouldn't have said anything at all. One single moment of disciple and this would have been over.

And saying the White House or the President himself is outraged over this is overblown. I never said outraged. bothered, distracted, majoring in minors. Really an off handed joke is really all this ever rated. Something about the bull being scared of Obama or maybe a financial joke about Obama and a bull market?

The Stealth Hippopotamus:That's exactly right. They shouldn't have said anything at all. One single moment of discipl(ine) and this would have been over.

Lol, no. Shouldn't have said anything, but this was going to get used in this manner no matter What happened. Because the important thing is that the leftist pundits and political commenters get to cry racism, and the rightist pundits and political commenters get to call the President divisive and hiding behind the race card.

The outrage is all that matters, because outrage sells stuff Almost as well as sex does.

JAGChem82:The big lip caricature of black people was a fairly odious one in the 1920/30s, although it was well before that. Take a look at some comics of black people in that era, and you'll probably see it.

I'm well aware of that, but the articles I've read didn't make it clear that the joke was "Look at black people and their big lips!" I got the impression that "lip bobbling" was what Bugs Bunny used to do to Elmer Fudd, rubbing his index finger up and down his lips making the "beebeeebeebee" sound before planting a big kiss on his face, which would seem like a textbook clowning move that isn't necessarily racist.

Fart_Machine:How far are you going to move those White House made a "big deal" goalposts?

I haven't moved the goal posts an inch. The White House couldn't have ended this before it every began. They didn't. They fueled this, now the guy is make a couple of bucks off it. Good for him. Next week someone in the White House will be counting it as a job they created.

Fart_Machine:No, you said the White House made a "big deal" when it was simply an off-hand remark by a spokesman who happened to be a native of the state when asked by a reporter.

That was not an offhanded comment. Guy looks like he is reading it. He can even face the report when he says it.

jonas opines:Lol, no. Shouldn't have said anything, but this was going to get used in this manner no matter What happened. Because the important thing is that the leftist pundits and political commenters get to cry racism, and the rightist pundits and political commenters get to call the President divisive and hiding behind the race card.

The outrage is all that matters, because outrage sells stuff Almost as well as sex does.

Some of the people who consider this racist are "left", some aren't. Are you seriously suggesting that the self-described "good ol'boy" who said the atmosphere there was "like a klan rally" was a "leftist"? Really?

And the only people who keep using the term outrage are the right-wing bloggers who beat this goddamn story like a dead horse, claiming that "the left" is "outraged". But the truth of the matter is that a lot of us leftists never would have even heard about this stupid clown if those right-wingers hadn't plastered him all over their crappy blogs.

The Stealth Hippopotamus:I haven't moved the goal posts an inch. The White House couldn't have ended this before it every began. They didn't. They fueled this, now the guy is make a couple of bucks off it. Good for him. Next week someone in the White House will be counting it as a job they created.

You're reaching more than this guy.

The Stealth Hippopotamus:That was not an offhanded comment. Guy looks like he is reading it. He can even face the report when he says it.

The Stealth Hippopotamus:Diogenes: I haven't really followed this closely but the White House commented on it? I thought it was the media and NAACP that make all the ruckus.

"I can tell you as a native Missourian, it was certainly not one of the finer moments for our state, and not the way I like to see our state depicted in the news."

-White House spokesman Josh Earnest

Since I like you I won't ask for a research fee.

Mr. Earnest could have just played it off and went on to the next question but he just couldn't. He showed that it affected him.

I notice you continually leave off the part where Mr. Earnest said Obama hadn't commented on it, and stressed that the comments made by Earnest were his personal feelings on the matter, not official stance. I guess if it doesn't fit the narrative, leave it out?

That being said, I chalk this one up to more of "He's a Demoncrat!" than "He's blah."

Heh. From the link:"When asked if he was a Democrat or a Republican, Gessling simply replied, 'I am a rodeo clown.'"Man, are they embarrassed to call themselves Republicans.Me? No, I'm an independent rodeo clown.

grumpfuff:I notice you continually leave off the part where Mr. Earnest said Obama hadn't commented on it, and stressed that the comments made by Earnest were his personal feelings on the matter, not official stance. I guess if it doesn't fit the narrative, leave it out?

But you don't understand. Because Obama didn't personally lambaste Mr. Earnest for stating his own opinion when asked by a reporter and call a special press conference to completely distance himself from the question he's making a Big Deal over it. A Big Deal.

Heh. From the link:"When asked if he was a Democrat or a Republican, Gessling simply replied, 'I am a rodeo clown.'"Man, are they embarrassed to call themselves Republicans.Me? No, I'm an independent rodeo clown.

ol_rooter:That there, hon, is a statement from the White House. Who's running the White House? The President. Who's the President, sweetie?

ol_rooter:White House spokesman Josh Earnest says he had no reaction from Obama.

That right there, Sugartits, is the official White House Statement. You even quoted it, yourself.

I can tell you as a native Missourian, it was certainly not one of the finer moments for our state, and not the way I like to see our state depicted in the news.

And that right there, Snookie-wookums, is one man giving his personal opinion, even being so kind as to refer to himself in the First Person, twice, (and in the Second Person twice) in case it wasn't clear for whom he was speaking. "Our state". Where's Obama from again, Honeybunch?*

And let's remember Stealth's original claim, that it was the White House that "made it a big deal".

How could the question have even been asked, if it was this statement that started the "big deal"?

grumpfuff:I notice you continually leave off the part where Mr. Earnest said Obama hadn't commented on it, and stressed that the comments made by Earnest were his personal feelings on the matter, not official stance. I guess if it doesn't fit the narrative, leave it out?

That being said, I chalk this one up to more of "He's a Demoncrat!" than "He's blah."

He is the White House Press Secretary. He is attached to the White House staff. That is why I said White House. WHITE HOUSE. I know some people use the terms President and White House interchangeably but that is wrong.

The Stealth Hippopotamus:grumpfuff: I notice you continually leave off the part where Mr. Earnest said Obama hadn't commented on it, and stressed that the comments made by Earnest were his personal feelings on the matter, not official stance. I guess if it doesn't fit the narrative, leave it out?

That being said, I chalk this one up to more of "He's a Demoncrat!" than "He's blah."

He is the White House Press Secretary. He is attached to the White House staff. That is why I said White House. WHITE HOUSE. I know some people use the terms President and White House interchangeably but that is wrong.

Now, if I said that the POTUS said it I would be wrong.

Deucednuisance: Steath's a lying liar, that's a given.

One example of me lying please.

Well if that's your best defense, I feel obligated to inform you that, as an inanimate object, the White House is actually incapable of having or expressing feelings due to it being an inanimate object.